Bathroom, Kitchen and Outdoor Safety | Child Safety Articles | 4akid

This article deals with Bathroom, Kitchen and
Outdoor Safety for Babies, Toddlers and Children.

Bathroom Safety

• Never leave your small child alone in the bath for a moment.
• Use anti-slip mats or stickers in the bath.
• Make sure shower doors are made of safety glass.
• Pull the bath plug out once you are finished and store the bath plug out of your child’s reach.
• Always run the cold tap first and check the temperature before your child gets in.
• Install safety locks on toilets.
• Don’t use detachable toilet fresheners or block cleaners inside the toilet bowl.
• Keep razor blades, scissors and hazardous substances out of reach and locked away, and wrap used razor blades in paper before discarding them in an outside dustbin.
• Remove the bathroom key in case your toddler locks himself in.

Kitchen Safety

• Cook on the back plates of your stove where possible, so that your toddler doesn’t reach up and bun himself on a hot plate, or put a pot of boiling food down on himself. When you aren’t cooking , turn the stove off at the main switch, and if you have a gas stove make sure you close the regulator at the source when you aren’t cooking.
• Turn pot handles to the back of the stove when cooking.
• Make sure the appliances are unplugged when not in use and that cords are tucked away.
• Keep knives and other sharp instruments out of reach, as well as all small food and items that your child could choke on.
• Keep high stools and chairs away from the stove.
• Never store non-food products in empty food containers (e.g.: paraffin in a jam jar).
• Keep plastic bags out of your baby or toddlers reach.

Outdoor Safety

• Cover your pool with a pool net, as well as all fish ponds and water features.
• Make sure your pool is totally enclosed with fencing at least 1.5m high and that all gates are self-closing and self-latching.
• If possible, make use of a pool safety alarm that will be set off if your child accidentally falls in.
• Don’t grow any thorny or poisonous plants in your garden.
• Make sure your garage doors have safety mechanisms that stop the door if it encounters an obstacle.
• Be especially vigilant and alert around open fires and braais.

[ Your Baby September 2008]